1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a remote operating apparatus and a remote operated apparatus as well as to a remote operating system constituted of these apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an AV system constituted, for example, of an AV amplifier, a DVD player, a CD player, a tuner and the like, these remote operated apparatus constituting the system can be remotely operated with a remote controller serving as a remote operating apparatus. A conventional AV amplifier includes an input selector to which a DVD player, a CD player, a tuner and the like are connected, and improves the operability by switching the input selector with the remote controller and changing the operation mode of the remote controller. For example, when the input switching of the AV amplifier is switched to the CD player by operation of the remote controller, operation of the CD player such as replay or stop or the like can be made with operating keys of the remote controller of the AV amplifier in which the operation mode has been changed. Also, the operation mode set value of the remote controller can be further changed by operation of an operation mode changing key, whereby another remote operated apparatus such as the tuner, for example, can be remotely operated without changing the input selector.
Conventionally, in the case of the above-described example, there is a system in which, when the operation mode of the remote controller is further changed by operation of the operation mode changing key, the switched operation mode is maintained for a predetermined period of time and after the predetermined period of time passes, the remote controller restores the operation function of the apparatus connected to the input selector before the current switching.
Further, a conventional remote operating apparatus aims at prevention of battery consumption and improvement of the operability by providing a roller and a detecting switch for detecting that the roller has been pressed, as a selection decision operating device.
However, in conventional remote operating apparatus and remote operated apparatus, even if the input selector is switched and the operation mode of the remote operating apparatus is changed, the improvement of operability has not been sufficient. When a user switches the input selector with a remote operating apparatus, the user cannot recognize that even the operation mode of the remote operating apparatus has been changed, thereby confusing the user. In addition, in an AV system, according as the number of apparatus connected to an AV amplifier increases, the number of remote operated apparatus that the user operates with the remote operating apparatus increases. Therefore, in addition to aiming at improvement of operability by combining the switching of the input selector with the change in the operation mode of the remote operating apparatus, it is necessary to construct a system in which the increasing number of remote operated apparatus can be operated easily and independently.